The Fraternal Order of the Knights of the Mines
A secret order of Knights and a cult of Reymon Ebonarm, the God of War, the companion and protector of all warriors, and the Black Knight, they are comprised of a small number of knights who hold powerful positions around Tamriel and work to furtively advance his ideals. __FORCETOC__ History In the year 541 of the 2nd Era, Durcorach the Black Drake and his Reachmen invaded High Rock. The Bretic kingdoms allied themselves and drove the invaders back into Skyrim, with the Kings of Daggerfall, Camlorn, Shornhelm, Evermore, and Wayrest signing the first Daggerfall Covenant. This is a history lesson that all squires and young nobility hear around the age of eleven and continue to hear pop up throughout the rest of their formative years. However, they are not often told of the separate battles that took place during that brief war, and in particular, of one in the mountains south of Jehanna, within the Western Reach. Only old scholars, historians of the Black Knight, and the Fraternal Order of the Knights of the Mines know and put any significance on this battle. During this battle, approximately fifteen warriors became cornered in an abandoned ebony mine by fifty Reachmen. These warriors were quite an assorted mix of the races of man and mer, with only the beast races not represented. Deep inside the mine, the warriors waited for the Reachmen, faces set in grim determination to take as many with them into the next life as they could. They did not have to wait long and in the cramped confines of the mine, the warriors held strong and eliminated just over half of the Reachmen while only losing six of their number. Suddenly, a curious thing happened. A red rose tumbled across the floor, blown by a draft of air, and following that rose, was a very tall, heavily muscled knight, encased in a suit of ebony armor, with a massive, ebony tower shield in its left hand, emblazoned with a fiery red rose, and in its right hand was nothing, as an ebony sword had been fused with the arm. The nine remaining warriors were knowledgeable men and knew who stood before them, but could still scarcely believe it. The Reachmen were terrified and cowed before the figure, but all nine warriors kneeled and bowed their heads before the Black Knight, and he spoke, “I am Reymon Ebonarm, the God of War, and companion and protector of all warriors. You nine have bested these others when faced with terrifying odds. The battle outside has ceased, and the Black Drake has fallen. However, there is one among these Reachmen who can rally his fellows, and pose a threat that you may not survive. If you pledge your loyalty to me and to each other as brothers, you will all live.” The nine warriors looked at each other and the first to stand and pledge his loyalty was a Breton of Thorkan named Rurn Montrend. The other eight followed suit, and vowed to reconvene in two months’ time at the Citadel of Ebonarm in Alik’ra, in Hammerfell. Before he left, the Black Knight gave each of them a token of a different mineral, Corundum, Ebony, Gold, Iron, Malachite, Moonstone, Orichalcum, Quicksilver, and Silver, with a fiery rose etched onto one side. Two months later, at the Citadel of Ebonarm in the provincial capital of Alik’ra, in a private room, the warriors met once again, and the Fraternal Order of the Knights of the Mines was established. They would be governed by a council of three and would convene once every two years in Alik’ra until a more permanent home for their meetings had been found. Their status as a Knight of the Mines would be passed down to a son who had proven himself to be an honorable knight. Should the Knight not have a son, he is to have selected another male whom he would vouch for with his life. However, the order was to remain secret, at all costs. Only on one’s deathbed were they allowed to reveal their secret to the next in their line. 'Miscellaneous' : The Knights maintain an air of secrecy amongst themselves, always meeting in hooded robes and a dimly lit chamber. First names were known to most, but in the confines of the chamber, each member was referred to by either his mineral or as the knight of his mineral. For instance, the current Knight of Ebony would be referred to as either Ebony or the Knight of Ebony, and so forth for Corundum, Gold, Iron, Malachite, Moonstone, Orichalcum, Quicksilver, and Silver. : Each Knight also has considerable knowledge about all the properties of his mineral and how it can be manipulated into weapons, tools, jewelry, and art. They also have some aspect of their mineral with them at all times, be it a ring, amulet, weapon, or other, usually on top of the token that came from the Ebonarm himself. : There are two confirmed Knights so far, :: Duke Veric Montrend, the Knight of Ebony :: Gavanicus Bolar, the Knight of Quicksilver Category:Lore Category:Breton